In my advancing years CCW weight on my hip has become bothersome.
Years ago I had a Star PD .45 Pistol that IIRC (?) had a lightweight frame, thus was lighter to carry.

Has anyone had experence with this model ?

Opinions ?

Light, accurate, reliable; mine isn't for sale,

Regards,

Tam 3

I had a friend that had one years ago, more years than I like to think about. Any way it was accurate closeup and didn't kick very much. If you find one at a price you can live with I say get it.

I had one back in the 90's. No complaints.

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Lee Erickson

Star has been out of business for a good while. Magazines could be costly and difficult to find. The recoil buffers could also be hard to find. The spur hammer was rough on clothing. All of mine functioned well and were reasonably accurate.

Have you considered a S&W Shield .45?

When I managed a gun store for a couple years in the late Eighties between college and law school, these were still popular enough (mostly as backups for LEOs) that we kept them in stock. They were pretty nice guns. The downsides of spare magazines and recoil buffers have been mentioned.
One that has not been mentioned yet is the relatively brittle nature of their firing pins: do NOT dry-fire these (or the Star BM/BKMs, either), or you are likely to find yourself in scouring the internet trying to buy a replacement pin.
Because of the parts replacement issues, I haven't given them any thought since the Nineties when Star went out of business. On the whole, I'd opine there are much better and more practical modern arms that fill this compact, light .45 ACP niche (I note I'm wearing a Glock 36 as I type this, and the Shield that was mentioned is a dandy). Recoil on these polymer guns is somewhat less than on the Al-framed Star PD, too, but a .45 ACP probably isn't an issue unless you have grip frailty or reasonably serious arthritis.

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How God has blessed us!

I've never had or shot the Star but I considered it back when they were being imported and were common and cheap. However, there were enough stories out questioning their reliability at the time to keep me away. I have an XDs in .45 that fits the small .45 bill fairly well. I carry it with a factory +1 extended magazine with sleeve. I took the extended magazine with sleeve to my belt sander and rounded the back corner off as far as I could so it wouldn't print too much. No manual safety but it does have a grip safety. The trigger isn't terrible.

I agree with Erich. I love the old third gen Smiths as well as revolvers. I do own a 6906 and 3913. I would love to own a 4566 or a Star. But when it comes to self defense I prefer a modern design where parts and accessories are easily available. Car gun is a Glock 19 or VP9. But carry is a high capacity thin, lightweight Shield +.

I would not go with one for the reasons mentioned above. There are very similar alternates available that are currently in production and have parts, magazines and service available.

In about 1980, a gentleman who used one joined our IPSC club and shot matches with it.

Most of the members were surprised anyone would use one in a match. We were also surprised at how well he did!

The Star PD has quite a cult following. When a distant relative passed and his stuff was being sold off, the PD was the one everybody wanted. The BKM (alloy version of the BM) also attracted attention. I have a number of Star pistols but I don't shoot them enough to worry about spares. The only Star in 45 I have a is a Megastar, and you probably don't want one of those behemoths as a carry gun.

I agree with others that there are a slew of modern, compact/subcompact polymer 45s that should fill your need.

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Release the Kraken

I get hung-up on cult-following guns myself, like the PD45. I guess if you could find one in like new condition, so you know the frame hasn't been battered, you could trust in for CCW. If not, a Shield would be the safest bet?
Dave


I love old guns!!!!!!!!!!!

Had one in the 70s but was unimpressed. i haven't seen one in decades.

Jeff Cooper thought highly of the Star PD .45 at one time, but he warned me that the metal was, in some cases, soft. He recommended that after zeroing, load up, and “carry much and shoot very little.” Later, he got a Colt Officer’s Model .45 ACP, and I am not sure what happened to his Star PD.

All that said, the P365 seems a better choice these days.

Magazines and parts will be a problem. Had one several years ago and the firing pin broke after I shot a few rounds in it and I did not dry fire it (got it used and the prior owner could have gone overboard with snapping it). Not a firing pin for it to be found anywhere. Dumped it off at a local gunshop with full disclosure of the broken pin and received a small amount of money they gave me for basically a parts gun. I took a real bath on that one. Won't own another one.

Star PD on my list, as Jeff Cooper said if used for intended purpose to carry much shoot very little all will be fine. Star PD was never intended to be a high volume range/target pistol, used as a backup and/or a lightweight hard hitting primary weapon when concealment/climate is a major consideration. Checked around for magazines, recoil buffers and firing pins all are available none costing a fortune. Consider the Star PD like a Smith alloy J frame or Colt alloy Cobra/Agent, lightweight and concealable. Just follow the warning re not dry firing and you will be fine.

Relying on a vintage firearm from a long gone manufacturer not a good idea IMHO for the reasons mentioned.

I have one plus an extra new magazine in the package and a few of the buffers. Never shot it or carried it, myself. I just bought it because you don't see them every day. Thought about making it my truck gun but it just sits there on the shelf. Jimmy, if you're serious about one, let me know via PM. We could probably make a deal.

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The best I can with what I got

I have a Star PD in the box w/extra mag. I shot it some years ago. As I recall it shot very well & had no problems. I will keep it until the end. Also had a BM in the box that I recently sold. Not a real big 9mm guy.

-don

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SWCA LM#2190 SWHF#414

Carried a Star PD for a few years in early '80's prior to Colt Officer's Model coming out. It was a good serviceable concealed carry gun at the time and the only option for a lightweight .45 ACP. As many have stated, it was designed to carry often and shoot very little. I sold mine shortly after getting my first LW Officer's Model. There are better choices these days due to the magazine and spare parts issues.

I had one in the 80's that I carried for a while as an off duty weapon and shot it quite a bit. Even then, finding the unitized recoil spring guide rod with integral buffer & recoil spring was getting to be iffy. Liked the little gun alot and stupidly traded it in for a stainless Officers ACP that was a complete ****. Today there are much better up to date options. I consider the 45 acp Shield a great modern non-1911 alternative.

I owned two at the same time. The later made ones had a slit in the frame above the squarish slide stop window. The early guns developed a crack in that spot that didn't affect anything, so it became a production feature.

Like I said I had 2 and a total of 8 mags. In the 90's I consolidated my 45's to use only 1911 or Sig 220 mags. I still agree with my decision, but do miss the PD's!

My guns both shot 230 Ball ammo and 230 grain SD ammo to the sights. I bought lots of Federal original Hydra-Shok ammo and still carry it. I down to my last 400 rounds! (When I reorganized my 45's they had to shoot this ammo to the sights too! I got rid of a total of 11 45 ACP autos!)

Ivan

Ivan

I too was looking for a PD but when I found a M&P Shield LNIB for $325, I went that way.
Surprisingly soft shooting and accurate for a small .45.
That’s not saying I would turn down a PD at a good price though

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Who are those guys?

I'm a Shield 45 fan.

A friend carried one as the Chief of Detectives and thought very well of it.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I purchased a Star PD new back in 70?s (can it actually have been that long ago?) It was ok, IIRC it was hard to find a load that would shoot to the fixed sights.
Now, so many years down the road i'd pass on one one from a long-deceased company.
Lightweight carry?
My preference if you can find one:

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

What Model is this ?

I would not get myself involved with a weapon that I could not get readily serviced or find parts for. I have one plastic gun, and it is a Glock 36. I think 21 oz. unloaded IIRC. Shoots fine for its' intended range, and never a hiccup. Have a custom holster for it by C. Rusty Sherrick in PA

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Mine has adjustable sights, thought they all did.

I was real hot for one of these back in the day when there was literally nothing that launched a .45 ACP that came even close to the size of this gun. I searched in vain, but this was also in the day before the internet and no LGS within my circuit ever had one.

Eventually Colt came to the rescue with the LW Officer's ACP. A used one turned up in my LGS and it came home with me. I have had this gun for decades. Unfortunately this little gun had its own set of issues. But that is a story for another day.

The idiot scratch was there when I bought it, by the way. I added the grips, the aluminum (instead of the original plastic trigger), the wood grips and the arched steel MSH instead of the plastic one that came on it. Probably put and ounce or two on it, but I do not do plastic.

I have had this thing for decades. It has seen a lot of use.

Attached Images

Officer's ACP.jpg (76.4 KB, 35 views)

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NRA Life Member

Sorry, it's the 3953 DAO.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

I always thought the Star PD sort of started the whole compact handgun scene.

Randy

You say you ... "had" a Star PD ... as in it got away ...
It's going to cost you more today to replace it if you can find one .
I had a Star model PS 45 acp ... it was stolen in a break in and I still miss it . My buddy , a police officer at the time carried his PD as his back up ... he and I are both retired now and he still has the Star PD . He thinks highly of the Star PD , one of the few compact 45's at the time and I realy liked the Star PS ... it was almost like a Colt 1911 but didn't have a grip safety or a sliding trigger, it did have an exposed extractor and both were very accurate and well made .
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

The Star PD was affordable. The Devell (sp) was a little smaller, but very pricey! They started what we think of as "Normal" size autos for CCW.

Ivan

Had a Star PD in the '70s-early '80s. That little puppy was quite accurate with surplus (cheap) 230 gr. hardball and I never had any problems even after a few thousand rounds.

The only things you had to watch for were the recoil spring and buffer. The buffer was no problem, as you could use a 1911 buffer, slightly reshaped (no big deal) and changed every thou rounds, or so. Never had to replace the recoil spring, but the last time I looked, Wolff had them in stock.

I like Stars, and regret having sold the PD kick, kick, kick!!! and looked for another one for years. Couldn't find one to save my life! However, around 20 years ago I ran across something in a small, rural gun store, coming back from a show, that just sucked my eyeballs to it. Lo and behold... a STAR!. It wasn't a PD, but a M45 Firestar! I was instantly in love...

To make a long story short, the Firestar ran circles around the PD, and any other .45 ACP that I've ever had, including 1911s. Pinpoint accurate and an absolute dream to shoot. However, remembering the PD, I immediately aquired 3 extra recoil springs from Wolff to tune it to various bullet weights. And... through the years I have aquired a few more Firestars, an M43 in 9mm, an M40 in .40 S&W (Starvel/nickle finish) and an M243 (Firestar Plus). I couldn't get used to the Firestar Plus, so that went down the road, but the M43 and the M40 were soon matched up with sets of Wolff springs, too. They are also very accurate and a dream to shoot. As a bonus, I found a source for factory mags a few years ago and bought 2 extras of each caliber at $15 each! Talk about luck...

Anyway, if you run across a Star, don't be shy about grabbing it. If you don't pound it to death with +P ammo you'll be just fine. And if you are worried about parts, most of them can be found fairly easily.

Hmmm, all these postings and no photo?

This is a later version with the squared off trigger. I'd have preferred the earlier type, but CA gunowners can't be picky -

IMG_0565.jpg

Since smallish 1911s were posted, a 3" barreled Caspian someone put together and used a truly concealable size grip frame borrowed from Detonics.

IMG_0566.jpg

Very well made, I wish it were an alloy frame. Would be the perfect CCW gun.

A friend of mine, also Jimmy, was always into offbeat guns. He really liked the Star PD. One day on the range he asked me to have a look at it. There was a crack in the frame above the slide stop hole. It still functioned but I convinced him it wasn't prudent to use it in that state.

He got a second one and the same thing happened. He didn't shoot the guns extensively either. It was for carry. I shot them and they were nice to shoot even though they we pretty lightweight. If you're interested in one, be sure to check the frame. it starts with a fine crack that progressively widens pretty quickly.

Star made some very well made pistols and the Star PD was one of them. As mentioned, out of production guns many times can't be supported with accessories/ parts. I'm more of a steel frame compact 1911 guy because I like to shoot them a lot.

That 'crack' in the Star PD frame and a lot of other Star frames is a relief cut the factory made in the frame thru the thin portion of the slide rail into the slide stop cut-out.

The frames did crack right there on their own before the factory started doing the relief cut.
Then some of them continued to crack thru the lower edge of the slide stop cut-out.
Flexing of the frame was occuring I guess. Especially on the Aluminum framed pistols.
The BK 9mm was prone to this.
Some of them even cracked on the other side (RH side) where the disconnector bar cut is milled into the frame farther back by the hammer.
I don't know of any thing that was done to prevent that issue.

The slide stop 'cut' is often seen as a frame crack when first observed by the pistols owner.
A clean straight cut with ample clearance is a factory done relief cut.



Earlier guns made before the factory placed the relief cut into standard production guns may show an actual crack.

I've seen some of these early guns with an extra aftermarket very small hole drilled through the frame just below and intersecting the bottom of the slide stop cut-out.
This attempting to halt any further cracking downward on the frame by giving a crack a flexing end point.
It's a common 'fix' to prevent cracks in things like semiauto shotguns recvr's from traveling any further than they already have.

The Star PD was the must-have CCW pistol back when.
Lots of L/E purchases. Most liked them
The last one I bought was a 'parts only' pistol that somene of questionable thinking and hands on ability had decided to make the PD even smaller than it was.
They had cut the frame grip length shorter, even too short for the main spring to work. Being alloy there was limited ways to make things whole again. Grips cut as well.
Of course the orig pricey magazine had already been shortened..
The top 1/2 was in tact so that was the valuable part.,,and I resold that easily.

The nicest Star in 45acp I've had was a Model PS. The 1911 lookalike.
Model P,,The 'S' signifys a magazine saftey on Star pistols.

An x- Guatemala Fed Police pistol in excl contition. A small lot was imported in the late 80's early 90's.
I was in my Star pistol accumulation phase back then.

A friend of mine had a Star PD that he shot quite often. It was an accurate little pistol.

One day at the range, we ran out of .45 ACP ammo. I went scrounging through my bag and found a dozen rounds that I had loaded with homecast Keith style 260 grain semi wadcutters for use in a 1917 S&W revolver. I figured we could load up the magazines and feed those rounds by hand. Nope, every one of those blunt nosed SWCs fed through the PD like they were FMJ round nose. We were both amazed.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!